Paving-block.



-No. sa|,24a. Patented Aug. 27, I90I.

J. MOLACI-ILAN,

PAVING sLocK.

(Lppiication mad Dec. 11, 1894.

(Iii: Model.)

FFICE.

ATENT JOIIN MCIJAOHLAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PAVING- BLOCK.

SPEGIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 681,248, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed December 17, 1894. Serial No. 532,012. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN MOLACHLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Paving-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pavements, particularly such as are designed to be put down in cities where there is great wear and where noise is to be avoided as much as possible. In such cases it is desirable to have a block which is light in weight, which tends to resist moisture, which is slightly elastic and, so far aspossible, noiseless, and which can be readily shaped and made of proper size to work in its desired position. I am referring, of course, to block-pavements such as are commonly made in public thoroughfares by wood, stone, tile, metal, or other such blocks.

I will'first describe the drawings whereby I have illustrated my invention.

-Figure l is a plan view of a section of a street.

same. a

Like parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the drawings.

A A are blocks of suitable size and shape and resting upon the base, bottom, or support B. This bottom or base may rest upon the soil or upon a concrete or prepared bed 0, andwhere rails D D of a street-car line are used the ties E E should be embedded in Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the a y the concrete or soil and the rails be secured thereto. These blocks consist of a fibrous material of natural growth, such as wood or the like, the fiber of which has not been broken, but which remains in substantially its natural condition save that the fibers have been compressed to an enormous degree, so that they are flattened or forced into close or intimate contact with each other without separation or disintegration. Moreover, during a portion of the period during which such blocks are being so formed or compressed or in a portion of the process through which they are passed prior to such compression I force into the pores of such wood or fibrous material a quantity of oil or the like substance. The substance, therefore, of which I form the blocks has as its base or startingpoint, so to speak, the natural wood; but it is reduced or changed from this natural condition by a process in which there is incorporated with it a quantity of oil or the like to resist the effect of moisture, and the fibers of the wood are compressed or forced together, so as to make an exceedingly firm close grained product. These blocks are forced into the proper form, size, or shape, but can be subsequently cut or split, and when placed in position I prefer to have the ends of the fiber turned upwardly. These blocks are, as indicated, suitably placed upon a proper base and'are brought up at the sidesagainst proper side supports, as the street curb, rail of street-car line, &c. A suitable packing or filling can be placed about and between or beneath the blocks. Suchablock is comparatively noiseless, is not slippery, as is the case with some other kinds of blocks, has enormous wearing capacity, is light in weight, and powerfully resists the action of moisture, rain, snow, and the like.

The process of compression of course ex presses from the fibrous material the albuninous and other such substances.

The filling or substance between the blocks V may be of soft wood or the like. For example, it may be boards suitably treated to prevent their absorption of moisture, but so as to permit them to have a certain capacity to give. The insertion between the blocks which oil or other disinfecting substances which are known to possess germ-killing properties.

The blocks herein referred to are compressed with the fiberin its natural arrangement and charged with moisture-proof substance, the blocks being given a permanent set, so as to retain their compressed shape without the aid of holding devices. These blocks are held in a fixed relation to each other by any desired means, so as to form a substantially even upper surface.

I claim- 1. A pavement for streets, consisting of a base and side supports, a series of blocks of highly-compressed fibrous material, the fiber in its natural arrangement and charged with moisture-proof substance, said blocks compressed before being associated together and given a permanent set so as to remain compressed without confining devices, and a holding device for holding said blocks in a fixed relation to each other, so that their upper surfaces form a substantially level pavement, said holding device having no tendency to compress the blocks when the holding device and blocks are brought together, substantially as described.

2. A pavement for streets, consisting of a suitable base and side supports, a series of compressed oil-saturated blocks, said blocks consisting of highly-compressed fibrous material, the fiber in its natural arrangement, the softer or albu minous materials being forced from the wood and the fibers being given a permanent set so that the blocks retain their density and shape Without retaining devices, a holding device for holding the blocks ina fixed relation to each other, said holding device having no tendency to compress the blocks when the holding device and blocks are'brought together. I

JOHN MOLACHLAN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS W. PARKER, FRANCIS M. IRELAND. 

